I’m worried my 7yr old gelding is at risk for laminitis. He’s put on too much weight this past month, starting to lose definition between his neck and shoulder, gutter down his back, have to push to feel ribs. No grain since February, just SmartVite Thrive, Smart Bug-off, Histall H supplements. Been trying to work him early mornings to beat the heat of our 93°F/75% humidity days, but now he’s super sore from yesterday’s trim (not entirely unusual, lifelong tender feet.) He’s drenched in sweat, huffing & puffing just being alive, even standing under the fan in the loafing shed. He cannot breathe sufficiently in the “Easy Breathe” grazing muzzle in this weather, he started panicking in it mid-April after being fine with it for 5 weeks. But, if I leave him in the dry lot and turn out the mare, she screams and paces along the shared fence line literally all day instead of grazing - she'll even ignore grain or alfalfa set right next to the fence between them.

Do I just resort to feeding both horses hay in the dry lot and turn out like 4 hrs/day (with my job, I'm only home and able to turnout 4 hrs or 12?) The mare happily races around the 4.5 acre pasture so I worry keeping her in the small dry lot is going to negatively affect her old bones and muscles, but I also can’t have her pacing off her weight. I can’t currently work the gelding who is sore, so restricting his feed is my only option. Ugh.

If you leave the mare out and lock him up will they get used to not always being by each other? They sound buddy sour. Mine were like this, but then they eventually got over it. Of course if she won't eat without him be careful that she doesn't starve herself.

If you leave the mare out and lock him up will they get used to not always being by each other? They sound buddy sour. Mine were like this, but then they eventually got over it. Of course if she won't eat without him be careful that she doesn't starve herself.

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We're on 2.5 years of her extreme attachment (both respectful when I'm working with them, at least.) She's a touch ribby after 4 days, but I'm most concerned with sweating and not drinking. Last fall she paced for 2 weeks before it was cool enough to muzzle the gelding.

Easy Breathe and Best Friend muzzles are a no-go with full-nostril-flaring, labored breaths. I've seen $100+ muzzles, but that's a big investment when you don't know anyone who's actually tried them. Contemplating just boarding the darn gelding for 6 weeks to work on his fitness under a covered arena - mare would either get over it from out-of-sight-out-of-mind or panic her way to a heart attack...